Wagon attachment.



F. GADECKI.

` WAGON. ATTACHMENT.

APPucATloN man MAR. is. 1916.

l ,l 97,@2 l Patented Sept, 5, 1916. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

fwvawtofa witnesses I @T' F. GADECKI.

WAGON ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s. |916.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Stimm/Imn FRANK GADECKI, OIF MYSTIC, IOWA.

WAGON ATTACHMENT. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 5', 191e.

Application led March 6, 1916. Serial No. 82,492.

To all lwhom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK GADncKr, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Mystic, in the county of Appanoose and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon Attachments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, Aand exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to vehicles, and more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in wagon bodies.

One object of the invention is to overcome the heretofore difficult task of loading wagons with large heavy articles, a piano for instance, by the provision of an attachment consisting of a truck adapted to support such article and carry it the length of the wagon body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, eflicient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Ain which similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon having a device constructed in accordance with this invention applied-theretog`Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the device positioned and locked at the extreme rear end of the wagon body; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the device detached from the wagon body; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 7 7 of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated 1 represents a wagon body having upright side boards 2 and an end gate 3. The outer side of the end gate 3 is provided with metal plates 4, one of which is disposed at each end thereof. The lower ends of these plates 4 are bent as at 5 around a cylindrical rod 5 which is secured to the wagon body 1 in any suitable manner, whereby to hingedly connect said. end gate 3 to the same. Extending laterally inwardly from the upper ends Vof the plates 4 are resilient arms 6, the free ends of which are curved downwardly for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The arms 6 are spaced slightly above the upper edges of the side boards 2 when the end gate 3 is in its closed position. Extending laterally inwardly from the outer side edges of the plates 4 are flanges 7 to which are pivoted arcuate arms 8, the latter being provided with notches 9 on their lower edges for engagement with suitable stop members 10 secured to the outer sides of the side boards 2, whereby to lock and support the end gate 3 in any desired position.

Arranged within the wagon body 1 between the side boards 2 is a pair of longitudinally spaced U-shaped supporting members 11, the intermediate portions 12 of which .are'slightly spaced above the bottom of said wagon body 1 and have secured thereto a substantiallyrectangular platev or platform 13.. 'The upright arms 14 of these U-shapedlmembers 11 are braced and spaced apart by horizontal straps 15, while extending laterally outwardly from their upper ends are flanges 16, the outer ends of which are bent downwardly, and revolubly mount-r edv between these downwardly extending portions 17V and the arms 14 are horizontal rollers 18. These rollers 18 are supported upon suitable track members in the form of metal straps 19 which'are secured `to the upper edges of the side boards 2. Thus it may be seen that the platform 13 may be moved longitudinally of the wagon body 1 from one end to the other.

When it is desired to load a large heavy article into the wagon, the end gate 3 is necessarily dropped and the platform 13 is moved to the extreme rear end of the wagon body 1, and one end of the article to be transported is placed thereon. The platform is then moved-forwardly, thus supporting and carrying the end of the article to the front end of the wagon. The article may be small enough to be entirely supported by the platform 13, and in that ease, it may be desirous of removing the platform after the article has been moved to the extreme forward end of the wagon body 1. To accomplish this result, the rear edge of the platform 13 i is provided with a rearwardly extending lug 2O having an aperture 2l therein, said aperture 21 being adapted to be engaged by the hooked end 22 of a suitable rod 23. 'I he forward edge of the platform 13 is bent downwardly to provide a substantially inclined portion 24 which maybe easily slid under the article When it is desired to move it rearwardly and unload the same from the wagon. o

When the wagon is in transit and the platform 13 is not in use, the latter is moved to the rear end of the body 1, the curved ends of the resilient arms 6 thereby engaging and passing over the upper sides of the rear rollers 18. The lug 2O is then received in a notch 25 arranged at the lower edge of the end gate 3 to position the aperture 21 therein in alinement with the lower end of the rod 23, the latter, in this case, being retained in a groove 26 on the inner side of the end gate by suitable guides 27. By lowering this rod, until its lower end projects through the aperture 21, the platform is securely locked, thus preventing it from moving about and rattling due to the movement of the wagon body.

From the foregoing, it may be seen that the objects of the invention have been effectively carried out, and a very simple and yet strong and durable platform has been provided for moving large heavy articles from the rear end of a wagon body to the front end thereof. It may also be seen that the wagon body does not have to be specially designed for this supporting platform, and hence it can be applied to the bodies of the commonly used express or other similar wagons.

Various minor changes in form and proportion may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown and described other than that set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a wagon body having upright side boards, a platform arranged within said body and movable longitudinally of the same, arms secured to said platform, horizontal rollers revolubly mounted on said arms: and supported upon the upper edges of said side boards, an end gate arranged at the rear end of said wagon body, and resilient arms extending inwardly from the upper edge of said end gate at the ends thereof, said resilient arms being spaced above the upper edges of said side boards and adapted to engage said rollers to retain said platform in its rear position.

2. The combination of a wagon body having upright side boards, a rectangular plat-- form arranged within said wagon body and movable longitudinally of the same, an apertured lug extending rearwardly from said platform, arms secured to the latter, rollers revolubly mounted on said arms and supported upon the upper edges of said side boards, an end gate arranged at the rear end of said wagon body, and a rod slidably mounted on the inner side of said end gate, the lower end of said rod being adapted to project through the aperture in said lug to retain said platform in its rear position.

3. A wagon attachment of the class described comprising a pair of spaced U- shaped members, a rectangular plate secured to the intermediate portions of said members, flanges extending laterally outwardly from the upper ends of the arms of said members, the outer ends of said flanges being bent downwardly, rollers revolubly mounted between the upper ends of said arms and the downwardly extending portion of said flanges, and horizontal braces secured to said arms for holding the same in spaced relation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK GADECKI.

Witnesses PHJLIP GADECKI, I-IILARY lJAsKovniisL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

